The Washington Post has printed the final edition of its Express commuter paper.
And while the decline of print and the ascent of digital is by no means a new phenomenon, the rise and fall of the Express is somewhat unique.
‘WaPo’ started handing out copies of the Express in 2003, right as the web was starting to explode. Despite this, the physical paper gained a huge following.
Editor Dan Caccavaro revealed the Express was printing 200,000 copies a day at its prime as commuters found a way to get a quick news fix on the ride in to work or university.
For a brief moment, the Express bridged the gap between online news and broadsheet newspapers.
But then along came the smartphone, giving readers the chance to read these same stories out of the palm of their hand.
To make matters worse for the publication, Washington has recently installed free WiFi on its trains, meaning readers can enjoy the news without eating in to their mobile data.
“With the growth of WiFi in Washington’s Metro system, The Post can now serve those readers in ways that couldn’t have been imagined when it launched 16 years ago,” said WashPostPR.
“More and more readers are consuming The Post’s content digitally, and The Post will continue to serve those who commute via Metro with digital products, including its mobile site, apps, newsletters and podcasts.”
It’s not all bad news for loyal Express readers, however, who will be given a 60-day free trial for unlimited digital access to The Washington Post.
